Lauletta named MVP as East thumps West

DOWNINGTOWN -- As they both did during the regular season, quarterbacks Kyle Lualetta and Emmett Hunt took center stage in Sunday’s Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association East-West All-Star Classic at Kottmeyer Stadium. The talented pair combined for 304 passing yards and three touchdowns -- two from Lauletta -- and both rushed for a touchdown as the East squad took a convincing 47-28 triumph from the West.

The East reveresed last year’s victory by the West and now has won three of the last four games and own an 8-4 lead in the series.

Lauletta was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The Richmond-bound senior was 10-of-15 passing for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also scored on a two-yard plunge.

“To play with this many talented guys was a big thrill,” Lauletta said. “We had to learn the offense in two practices, but the guys worked hard and we ran a lot of stuff that I ran with Downingtown East, so it was a good thing all around. And to able to play on this field one more time was also very enjoyable.”

The East jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first when Lauletta hit Ronald Womack over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown. The West Catholic receiver led the East with six catches for 122 yards.

With the score 14-7 in favor of the East in the second, Hunt came into the game and immediately went to work. Hunt threw a perfect pass to fellow Coatesville teammate, Chris Jones, for a 35-yard score and a 20-7 advantage. Jones ended the day with five catches for 83 yards.

“We were allowed to call a lot of our own plays by the coaches,” said Hunt, who threw for 142 yards and scored on a 10-yard run. “I was used to that because I did some of that this season at Coatesville. It was a great experience being with these guys. We really bonded over the past three weeks and we really wanted to win the game.”

With the East up 20-7 at halftime it looked like the game would get out of hand, but the West squad picked off a Lauletta pass and two plays later, Seneca Valley’s Jordan Brown hit North Allegheny tight end Kevin Edwards with a four-yard pass and the West closed the score to 20-14 early in the third.

The East came back to score the next two touchdowns to put the game away. First Central Dauphin’s Drew Scales scored from one-yard out, then Lauletta hit Diante Cherry of Lancaster McCaskey with a 13-yard touchdown pass and the East was back in total command at 33-14.

The East squad racked up 424 total yards compared to 333 by the West, a lot of that coming after the outcome was no longer in doubt.

“The kids really executed well,” East head coach Mike Matta said. “This was an awesome experience being around these kids. I loved it. We let the quarterbacks call some of their own plays and on the Emmett Hunt touchdown to Chris Jones, he changed the play and made a great call.

“To win the game is even better and Kyle got to play on his home field one last time. It was a great day.”

Individually for the West, Brown, a James Madison recruit, was 6-of-13 for 108 yards and three scores, Thomas Jefferson’s Joe Carroll threw for 177 yards. Scales led the East in rushing with 78 yards on 13 carries and two TDs. Terish Webb of Clairton paced the West with 24 yards on six carries. Zach Schademan of Thomas Jefferson led the West with four catches for 47 yards and Trey Jordan of Clearfield had two receptions for 86 yards.